May 2, 2011 - As SkyWest, Inc. (Nasdaq: SKYW), readies its earnings statement for release on Wednesday, pilots—represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA)—are preparing to open negotiations with the management of Atlantic Southeast (ASA), a wholly owned subsidiary of SkyWest, to achieve a Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement (JCBA) that will define compensation and work rules for the 4,300 pilots of ASA and the former ExpressJet Airlines. Though the two airlines formalized their merger in late 2010, the operations remain separate while the two pilot groups continue to work under different contracts. The merged ASA is the largest independently owned regional airline in the United States and performs flying for Delta, Continental, and United.